Late birdie streak sparks Ababa triumph
Johnnel Ababa exhibits off his trophy. —PHOTO BY PILIPINAS GOLF
By his calculations, Johnnel Ababa knew one factor.
“Regardless of trailing a lot of the approach, I knew I had an opportunity,” he stated on Saturday. He figured two birdies a the again 9 would put him solidly in competition for the ICTSI Villamor Philippine Masters crown.
“Eh nakatatlo pa (And I made three),” he stated.
The additional birdie performed a vital function because it helped him survive a slip-up on 17 on the way in which to a one-stroke victory over erstwhile coleaders Guido Van der Valk and Joenard Charges on the difficult army structure.
Ababa completed with a 71 and appeared like he was coasting to the crown in opposition to his winded foes when he went three strokes up with birdies on 13, 14 and 15. However the Davao ace pulled his tee shot into the water on No. 17, Villamor’s signature gap, and wound up with a double bogey to place the P2.5 million championship into a good end.
“I additionally had a 5 (double bogey) on that gap within the third spherical,” Ababa stated. “I suppose I actually haven’t any luck with that gap.”
However as rapidly because the suspense constructed up, it dissipated.
Third participant
Enjoying on the championship flight forward of Ababa, van der Valk and Charges missed birdie possibilities and completed with an identical 74s, easing the stress off the chief, who wanted only a stable end to annex the crown.
Ababa turned the third participant to win the Masters crown because the fabled occasion was revived in 2017
Van der Valk, who missed the lower at Luisita, and Charges shared second and third place prizes after posting an identical 286s, whereas Keanu Jahns additionally carded a 71 for solo fourth at 287.
Reymon Jaraula matched par-72 for the second straight day and ended up fifth at 288 whereas Korean Min Seong Kim rallied with the day’s finest 68 to clinch sixth place at 289 adopted by Nilo Salahog and Fidel Concepcion, who tied for seventh at 290 after a 73 and 74, respectively.
—INQUIRER SPORTS STAFF
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